E-Paper
14-yr-old surrendered Maoist wants to pursue studies
One week after having surrendered before a court in Ghatsila, teenaged Maoist Barun Munda has pleaded before the Jharkhand police to help him pursue studies and claims having been 'trapped' by the ultras. During police interrogation, 14-year-old Barun, formerly a VIth standard student at Jamua, expressed his keen desire to continue studies, Superintendent of Police (Rural), Ranjit Prasad said.
One week after having surrendered before a court in Ghatsila, teenaged Maoist Barun Munda has pleaded before the Jharkhand police to help him pursue studies and claims having been 'trapped' by the ultras. During police interrogation, 14-year-old Barun, formerly a VIth standard student at Jamua, expressed his keen desire to continue studies, Superintendent of Police (Rural), Ranjit Prasad said.
Barun deposed himself before the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ghatsila, last week and was accused in the killings of two persons there a few months ago and of blowing up rail tracks near Dalbhumgarh during the bandh called by the ultra-left outfit early this year. The SP said the boy made the unusual request when the district police took him on a three-day remand for grilling on Thursday.
He was sent back to jail on Friday. Prasad said Barun, a resident of Jamua village in the sub-division, had forcibly been taken away by the Ghorabandha squad of the outfit. A nephew of hardcore Maoist Phogra Munda, he was in the squad for about a year when he was asked to do errands like carrying the Maoists' fire-arms and preparing food except when on particular "assignments like murder or act of sabotage on specific days."
The boy claimed before the cops that he was lured by the ultras since he wanted to earn fast bucks "for studies". Barun had made up his mind to flee from the group after the Maoists repeatedly refused to pay him, the SP said.
